Monthly Archives: December 2025

(Advent 12) – Learning and Reading

The way we each learn is different, I prefer to write notes, so for me I am likely to recall something if I wrote it down having read it or heard it. There is a plethora of genealogical and historical … Continue reading

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(Advent 11) – Keeping Track

Keeping track of our research, successes, next steps and research ideas is really important. Without it, and I speak for myself here, when I say, if it is not written down then all bets are off if I will remember … Continue reading

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(Advent 10) – Journey

Family history is akin to going on journey. When we start we do not necessarily know where we are going, we don’t know what we might see on the journey, nor the destination. We use our starting point and move … Continue reading

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(Advent 9) – Individualistic

I am always amazed at the number of genealogists who are surprised or curious about the concept of One-Name studies.  Broadly speaking, we all have a surname. It might be one we were given at birth, one that was “given” … Continue reading

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(Advent 8) – Help at Hand

The Genealogical community, both on and offline is in the main a friendly one, where sharing knowledge and ideas for research is given freely and frequently. The internet has shrunk the world to the size of a matchbox, with interactions … Continue reading

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(Advent 7) – Gathering Data

Any One-Name and surname research project will involve the collection of material, what I refer to as raw data. Regardless of where your surname originated from or where you reside, to undertake a One-Name Study and register this with the … Continue reading

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(Advent 6) – Family Trees

Family Trees, Pedigree, or lineage – are they the same, different or simply different things to different people? A family tree is something that I produce when I am researching. It is a rough drawing of who sits where in … Continue reading

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(Advent 5) – Evidence

Regardless of what research you are undertaking, every separate fact contained within a document should be individually recorded into a database, and subsequently, every fact should be supported by evidence. The evidence documented with the citation, which subsequently can be … Continue reading

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(Advent 4) – Distribution of Surnames

Surname distribution maps add a new and different dimension to a One-Name study. A surname may well have it’s origins in one Country, and a map can provide an interesting insight to how migration can influence the geographic spread of … Continue reading

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(Advent 3) – Choosing a Surname

There are always more questions than answers, and always a burning obsession to find out more, even if the odds are against a successful search. Therefore it is no surprise that researchers choose their surnames of interest for a variety … Continue reading

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